1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to systems and processes which need to know the location of wireless mobile communication devices, such as computer systems which provide location-based services and/or computer systems which provide responses to emergencies.
2. Description of Related Art
Various systems and services may need to know the location of wireless mobile communication devices, such as a cell phones.
For example, a broad variety of location-based services may be provided to users of wireless mobile communication devices. To obtain these services, the wireless mobile communication device may provide information indicative of the location of the wireless mobile communication device. In turn, the location based service may provide information about products, businesses, and services within the vicinity of the wireless mobile communication device.
Another example is emergency response services, such as the emergency response services provided by police departments, fire departments, and/or 911. Knowing the location of the wireless mobile communication device may be critical in determining which emergency service provider should be contacted and in rendering emergency service.
Unfortunately, systems which determine the location of wireless mobile communication devices may focus only on the horizontal location of the device. This can create uncertainties and ambiguities when the wireless mobile communication device is located on a particular floor of a multi-floor building. Even knowledge of the elevation of the wireless mobile communication device may not be sufficient to enable the location of the wireless mobile communication device within the multi-floor building to be determined.